This is a blog that will take you through the Rum lifestyles of a fine group of people that enjoy the fun and pleasure of fine rums. We will travel to distilleries, partys, and Rum Events to bring you the Rumstyles of all those we come in contact with.

Bahama Bob's Rumstyles

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

This is first of it's kind course to train Spirits ambassadors. Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell is to launch a five-day immersive Rum
'Experience University' designed to create a new generation of cross-category
ambassadors.

The course will be
held later this year in a part of Spain that boasts mainland Europe's only
working rum distillery and will combine seminar-based learning with practical
demonstrations.

It will teach every aspect on rum production and even teach rudimentary
neuro-linguistic programming and hypnotherapy to help budding ambassadors
impart knowledge. A diploma will only be issued after students have passed an
end-of-course exam - around 30 places are expected to be offered this year.

Ian, who is down to the final shortlist in this year's Best International Brand
Ambassador award at Tales of the Cocktail, is hoping that the course, which is
backed by the Spanish government and aimed at intermediate to advanced rum
aficionados, will create an army of like-minded ambassadors who can spread the
word about his favorite spirit. He is also hoping that the course will become
an internationally recognised qualification that bartenders can use to help
them get a job as a rum expert.

He has
been keen to establish a rum centre of excellence in Europe ever since
self-funding his own trip to the Caribbean when he was learning about rum in
his early 20s. "There hasn't ever been really any official training to
become a spirits ambassador, let alone a rum ambassador. I was very lucky that
I had a few friends and family to stay with and most of the distilleries were
happy to show me around. But for those that don't know anyone, that's
prohibitively expensive and today it's not so easy to get into distilleries.

"By running this course in Spain we can empower people in a far more
practical and thorough way as possible, without them having to spend thousands
flying to the Caribbean."

Ian said he has seen too many brand ambassadors "thrown in the deep
end" and expected to promote categories and brands based on a PowerPoint
presentation but without ever having visited the distillery or maturation
warehouses where their products are made.

The Rum Experience University is expected to include speakers such as drinks
historians, food scientist and distillers from at least two rum makers.

Ian said he was delighted the university was close to coming to fruition.
"I can't believe it's actually happened," he said. "I'll
probably cry after the first course."

If you are in the area of
Andalusian, the charming views the Mediterranean Sea, Take the time o come to
the Rum Experience University and get a first hand knowledge of what being
ambassador really is.